Momentary Peace
by Tallemy
Summary: What is the reason to hate something? It causes the heart to slowly rot away from negative emotions, yet rains are good for many things. Forgetting, grieving, thinking but who would've thought that they can save decaying hearts?


[Momentary Peace]

_drip drop - the rain keeps falling down_

The rainy season arrived without any notice, or at least this was what Takeo thought as he ran past the school buildings, then literally galloped through the bridge just to reach some shelter from the cold misery. He hated this weather for many reasons: first being the darkness, since he loved lazying around in the garden when the sun was up high in the sky; the second was humidity, what made his hair stand in the four compass points looking like some long lost relative of Tazaan-sensei, who came out of the bushes after ten years.

Takeo wanted to reach the bus stop as soon as possible. Not like this would help on his current situation, because the boy looked like he just jumped into the pool, but he wanted to get rid of the feeling of cold raindrops hitting his back and his bare arms. So he ran. He ran way faster when they were on the pitch kicking the ball and when he saw the rundown bus stop, he dashed through the veil of water with strength that almost break down the side of the small booth. Ban was about to let out a victorious laugh when his eyes met with a pair of golden ones. The breath was caught up in his lungs as he stood there with a frozen mouth, slightly opened for the laugh. Fortunately this unfavourable expression wasn't an everlasting one, since as soon as he came back from the shock Takeo's smile completely disappeared from his face, replaced by signs of irritation.

"Why the hell are you here?" he roared with hatred glazing in his eyes.

"Yeah, hello to you too." his team- and classmate, Suizenji Chiita smirked as he took a step backward from the idiot.

Takeo honestly cursed his bad luck. Out of all the people, he managed to find Suizenji Chiita, his arch-nemesis and biggest rival on the team. Ever since Takeo joined the team he constantly felt like he was living in the shadow of Suizenji since in contrast of him, the boy with dark circles around his eyes could never play in a match. One could say he had a reserved place on the bench with a luxurious velvet cushion. He could only stand on the same pitch as the other third years like Reon and Hebimaru when Suizenji called sick and this was an extremely rare occasion. On a match or two he seriously wished Suizenji to break his leg if not both while he was dribbling the ball through the field. So of course their relationship wasn't the best and Ban wouldn't leave out a chance to remind Suizenji for this.

Right now he just wanted to kindly kick him on the shin.

"Why are you here?" Takeo asked, brushing away the water droplets from his arms as he tried to warm up a bit.

"If you just used your peanut-sized brain you would know why people are standing at the bus stop in the middle of the rain. Wait. I'll help in case you misunderstand me. I'm not standing here because I've got nothing better to do."

When he saw Takeo opening his mouth he quickly added "Nor to breath the same air as you."

"Hmpf."

"What now?"

There was no telling what will happen if you let Suizenji and Ban together for too long, but this time it seemed both of them were too tired to fight with full power and they stayed at verbal fight.

"Nothing. Besides none of your business."

"Just what is your problem? You always have a comeback no matter what I say. I thought this is your life."

And this made Takeo think for the first time about his action.

"So you think I'm doing this for fun?!" he faced Suizenji with an almost disappointed expression. "Well, I don't. Do you know why I hurt you as much as I can? Because I hate you. My hate for you is deeper than this freaking jungle! Do you think this is a joke? Well I don't! You're just an enemy. Nothing more."

He was sure the last part became louder than he wanted but by the time he realized what he has done there was no way back.

Takeo had to bear the consequences.

For the first time Takeo noticed, he wasn't the only one who got soaked in the rain. Suizenji might have gotten caught in the rain too, since fat raindrops were dripping from his hair and clothes. He couldn't do anything against ending up there just as him yet Takeo bite his head off as soon as they'd met.

He felt frustration piling up in his heart. The fake-hatred he felt when he saw Suizenji playing on the field was completely replaced by anger and regret.

As the silence started to get more and more smothering, Takeo tried to strike up a conversation but he couldn't think any good topics so he just used the most oblivious one.

"So when does the bus come?" he asked looking into the direction where the said vehicle should come from.

"In 45 minutes or more." came the short reply.

"Hmpf...hrmmm..."

"Excuse me?"

"It's just... I'm sorry." he murmured softly under his breath, still looking at the road in case Suizenji wanted to look him in the eyes.

"For what? You can't do anything about the horrible bus schedule." he said flatly.

"Wait. No! I meant about-" he was about to anger himself again for being ignored and misunderstood but Suizenji cut off before he could say a word.

"I know." he nodded and looked at the veil of water before him. "I'm just surprised since I thought you at least liked me a tiny bit. After all we are we are both third years and we have the same friends and all. Hwaa... I think I've got my hopes too high. Hey, but why do you hate me so much in the first place?"

Yes this was true. They're supposed to be graduating the next spring. Nevertheless, Ban couldn't feel that this meant attachment to each other, yet because of their activities at the soccer club they became unfamiliar familiars. But aside from tossing him into the reserve bench Takeo couldn't collect more reasons and he was unable to come up with new ones...

"You have a stupid face..."

"What-?"

Suizenji heard a low rumbling coming for the panda boy who still desperately tried to come up with proper reasons.

As it seemed he really didn't want to repeat himself.

"I said- You have a stupid face!"

Moments of silence again. Only the splashing of raindrops could be heard.

"That's all? Only an idiot would have this as a reason." Suizenji seemed genuinely displeased be the answer, so was Ban.

"I'm not an idiot." he huffed.

"Then tell me the truth."

"What truth? I've said it already. I can't stand your face."

"Neither I do yours, yet I don't hit you for looking like an ugly bear. But I can always play this in my way, so if you don't tell me I'll kick you out of here." he groaned and started to push Takeo towards the end of the booth. The other strongly protested against this treatment and tried to escape from the grip. "Any last words? I'm all ears."

A whisper could be heard. Suizenji had to listen really carefully to the words Takeo was muttering under his breath. In the end he decided to lean closer just as Takeo started shouting.

"I would never tell you-!" and with that Suizenji pushed him out to the rain, making Takeo twirl back in surprise. But he was sure Suizenji couldn't hear the end of the sentence, what changed the meaning completely.

_-because it's stupid…_

Suizenji was expecting him to run back, screaming, clawing at his face, but nothing happened. Not even a complain. Takeo would always whine, hit back and hurt him is something didn't go his way, but now he just stood there dumbstruck. On other occasions they would end their arguments is a draw with injuries on both sides but it seemed this time Chiita managed to land a super effective hit on Takeo's ego.

It was the panda boy who always used methods like this and now the tides have suddenly turned against him.

"Hey, come back under the roof." urged him his classmate, but Takeo just kept staring into the air. After he didn't respond for the second call, probably because of simple defiance, Suizenji grabbed his arm and pulled Takeo back under the roof, surprising the boy with the sudden caring attitude.

"You should decide what you want to do." Takeo muttered angrily.

"Why do you hate me?"

Great. It started all over again, like an endless cycle. After a few minutes of silence Takeo seemed to open his mouth, forming words but closed when he changed his mind or probably lost the courage to say it out loud.

"Actually..."

"Actually?"

"I'm cold."

He wanted to hit the panda boy really hard, but prevented himself from doing so because in a way he was guilty for the tension between them even if Takeo refused to say the reasons. But Suizenji had the idea if he can warm up Takeo a bit, maybe his heart would warm up a few degrees. The idea itself was absurd, but his curiosity was greater than his common sense.

Now the only question was how. Even if Takeo was a girl he would've no reason to make intimate moves or kiss him likes jerks do in many mangas. That would be the end of the fragile ignorance-ship they shared through the years. On top of that Ban would bite down his face if he tried something underhanded like that. No. Ban would do something like that if he moves closer than ten inch. There was no need to do intimate things at all.

"Well... If you want you can… you know... like always come closer...?" he said half asking, half stating.

"What? Why would I?"

"Because you wouldn't freeze to death?" Suizenji gave him a lopsided smirk. Takeo probably felt like it was a request of a challenge so he agreed within a few seconds.

"Fine."

Slowly but surely, even if it was with the speed of a back upping snail, he saw Takeo stepping closer and closer to him until their arms finally touched. Suizenji hissed and quickly jumped away if the boy was on fire or at least had a contagious disease.

"The hell is wrong with you?! You've never said anything about having an ice cube as your father."

"I think I have the right to freeze you after _someone _gave me a cold shower, jerk." Takeo said but after regaining his stand Suizenji stood back next to him, shivering when his skin met with extreme cold through their shirts. He had to admit this was a stupid idea and didn't help at all.

Ban was like a stray cat and he'd just earned his trust on some level. Half success from someone who was called "enemy" a half hour ago.

"Truth to be told, I don't even know why I hate you." Suizenji looked at the boy, puzzled. "And my reasons are stupid. You know, first I thought I hate you because you were stupid and pushed me out from the team, but we never talked so I don't really know what I hated in the first place..."

Suizenji seemed to be rather confused about this, but when Takeo looked at him he saw the same confusion in the boy's eyes with the desperate quest to find an answer.

"Do I hate '_you'_ or do I hate the _'fact'_? I've never talked with you alone so in the end this would make me hate the _'fact_' but when I see you I want to hurt '_you'_."

"Okay, stop this now. I guess I know what's your problem already-"

"But I'm bamboozled!"

"Me too!"

"But don't be. I should be the one pulling out my hair with shouts of madness."

"Look, you just said you hated, kicked and hurt me for a reason you don't even know for three years now. Why shouldn't I be bamboozled, tell me?! I dare you!"

"Because you're Suizenji Chiita, ace forward of Nosei while I'm just the second musician from the bench who never had a chance to play in a real match and Tazaan-sensei never lets me join because he says I'm too rough?"

His face had the mixed emotions of anger and melancholy as he looked out at the silently falling rain. It still looked like they were trapped in a small box, with no escape and the feeling of just became ten times more suffocating as the truth was unveiled.

He closed his eyes and waited for scolding and shouting, or for the next cold shower.

But nothing came just small chuckles what strengthened into laughter.

A honest laughter at their stupidity.

He regarded Suizenji with a look of amusement as he clicked his tongue in a respective manner.

"Just when I thought you can't get more stupid."

"I'm sorry but to think that every purple bruise I've gotten was because you felt suppressed by me... You should've told us. If you want to play that badly we can always find a way. I bet Torii will agree too and I have no objection against it."

"Really?"

"Really. But only with one condition. You can't change."

"..?"

"It's hard to admit but I would miss our fights." Suizenji's reply was short and earned a light kick from Takeo.

"As you wish."

It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would but had more meaning than any words. They closed down a path that would lead to darkness and eventually forgetting each other to open a new one to create a strong bond similar to their already existing ones. Their friendship won't be full of rainbows, hell, there will be storms bigger than this.

But not every friendship has to be about sugar-coated understanding and love. Sometimes a hit or two can do more help than harm.

_drip drop - it washes away the frowns_

**A/N: First of all thank you for reading this. I knew it wasn't a pleasure cruise since they're just minor character, ban doesn't even appear in the anime! Sorry for the typos and everything else, but I decided not to ask for beta-ing and well, help in general.**


End file.
